Highway maintenance

2023

• WSDOT highway maintenance asset condition levels of service scored a 2.14 using a 4.0 Grade Point Average scale in both 2022 and 2023
• WSDOT added 5,435 assets and processed 244,971 maintenance records in 2023 using HATS (a Maintenance Management System)
• WSDOT assessed the condition of all guardrail (approximately 20,070 runs) 4,806 (24%) were damaged

WSDOT works to find a balance in transportation maintenance operations

WSDOT uses the lowest life-cycle cost process to maximize the life of assets at the least expense by prioritizing risk-based preservation, rehabilitation and reconstruction projects. The LLCC process programs work at the optimal time, ensuring that it is not occurring too late in the asset's lifespan.

Prioritizing new projects over the preservation of existing assets is a departure from the LLCC and results in increased future costs while increasing WSDOT's fiscal burden of maintaining state highway assets in good working order. Continuing downward trends for the Maintenance Accountability Process Level of Service indicate WSDOT is unable to keep up with the lack of preservation. Deferring preservation leads to an ever-increasing cost and is an unsustainable approach for WSDOT and Washington taxpayers.

The 2022 Move Ahead Washington package—which set aside $750 million for maintenance—is intended to preserve and maintain infrastructure and help ensure roadway safety for the traveling public and commerce. While this plan marks a significant investment, WSDOT has faced substantial challenges in the 2023-2025 biennium. Factors such as a notable reduction in buying power upwards of $37 million, growing costs, and responding to emergent repairs due to an unfunded preservation program have delayed maintenance activities.

This deficit is expected to have far-reaching effects on the state's transportation infrastructure and WSDOT's ability to maintain aging assets. The reduction in WSDOT's buying power emphasizes the need for consistent and adequate funding to maintain statewide transportation while highlighting critical systems' vulnerability when faced with unexpected budget constraints.

WSDOT attributes the higher costs to various factors, including rising and volatile material costs, less competition for bids, and labor shortages.

Preservation and maintenance are linked within the transportation infrastructure management process. One cannot be substituted for the other, however, and WSDOT's Maintenance Program cannot keep assets in good working order without a properly funded preservation program. Each plays a distinct yet interconnected role in maintaining the overall quality and functionality of transportation systems and extending infrastructure life and quality. Through repairs and rehabilitation that is crucial for cost-effectiveness, prolonged infrastructure longevity, and ensuring safety and reliability.

2022

• WSDOT missed 44% (12 of 27) of its highway maintenance asset condition targets in 2022
• WSDOT added 4,908 assets and processed 215,912 maintenance records in 2022 using HATS (a Maintenance Management System)

Challenges continue for WSDOT Maintenance

WSDOT missed 44% (12 of 27) of its highway Maintenance Accountability Process (MAP) funded Level of Service (LOS) targets for 2022, which was unchanged from 2021. Over the past five years, the percentage of LOS targets missed has steadily increased and has averaged 31.2% as longstanding preservation funding challenges persist throughout the state.

The 16-year, $3 billion Move Ahead Washington transportation revenue package was approved by Gov. Jay Inslee and the Washington State Legislature in 2022. The package—which set aside $750 million for maintenance—is intended to preserve and maintain infrastructure and help ensure roadway safety for the traveling public and commerce.

While the Move Ahead Washington plan is a significant investment for WSDOT, it is not without its challenges for the programs. WSDOT's current LOS scores represent years of underfunding and will not quickly transition to a State of Good Repair. It will take years of planning and implementation for both the maintenance and preservation programs to attain the targeted levels of service. Unplanned activities, including severe weather and other unexpected events, can adversely impact WSDOT's ability to meet LOS targets because they pull personnel from planned maintenance activities.

2021

• WSDOT missed 44% (12 of 27) of its highway maintenance asset condition targets in 2021
• WSDOT added 6,824 assets and processed 182,109 maintenance records in 2021 using HATS (Highway Activities Tracking System)
• WSDOT's winter operations staff was down 19.5% from approximately 1,500 to roughly 1,200 during the 2020-2021 winter season

Challenges continue for WSDOT Maintenance

WSDOT missed 44% (12 of 27) of its highway Maintenance Accountability Process funded Level of Service targets for 2021 an increase of 12 percentage points from 32% (eight of 25) missed in 2020.

The percentage of Level of Service targets missed has steadily increased over the past five years as long-standing preservation funding challenges persist throughout the state. Maintenance efforts continue to suffer the effects of inadequate preservation funding. This work includes projects to resurface roadways, rehabilitate and paint bridges, and maintain highway infrastructure like guardrail, signal systems, signs, drainage systems, and roadside activities such as mowing and spraying.

There is an estimated average annual funding shortfall of $475 million for highways while the state's average annual need for maintenance and preservation is approximately $1.06 billion. As a result, road and bridge conditions continue to worsen and WSDOT must post signs warning travelers of rough roadways, reduced speed limits and weight restrictions.

Maintenance activities aim to ensure infrastructure remains in good working order, whereas preservation allows the system to perform at its lowest lifecycle cost. Maintenance activities are intended to maintain the condition of transportation system assets and restore assets to a functional state of operation in-between preservation projects that complete longer-term repair or restoration work.

2020

• WSDOT met 68% of its highway maintenance asset condition targets in 2020, down from 77% in 2019
• WSDOT processed 176,995 maintenance records in 2020 using the HATS (Highway Activities Tracking System)
• WSDOT was unable to assess the condition of guardrail in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions and staffing shortfalls

WSDOT maintenance faces tough trade-offs

WSDOT continues to face tough maintenance decisions as the backlog of maintenance and preservation work grows and affects state infrastructure. Rougher roads and aging bridges coupled with frequent emergency repairs and closures are becoming more visible and apparent to those traveling on Washington's multimodal system. WSDOT Highway Maintenance is no longer able to hold the system together until additional funding for preservation becomes available.

Maintenance work maintains the condition of transportation system assets and restores assets to a functional state of operation in-between preservation projects. Maintenance activities go hand in hand with preservation work to keep infrastructure in good working order.

WSDOT's roadway maintenance funding is approximately $442 million less for the next 10 years than is needed to accomplish all the assigned tasks (not including other maintenance and preservation needs throughout the agency). While funding available for highway maintenance activities has remained relatively consistent, it has not kept pace with system additions (new projects, structures) from construction as well as material cost increases, inflation, and other unavoidable costs. This means deferring activities and reducing levels of service, which forces the agency to miss performance targets, leading to larger and more costly emergency repairs or full replacements.

The state's overall preservation needs were underfunded by approximately $865 million per year as of December 2020. For highway preservation alone, the annual shortfall is estimated to be $380 million per year. Highway preservation includes resurfacing roadways, bridge rehabilitation and painting and preserving other highway infrastructure including signal systems, slopes and drainage systems. This work is planned and performed to improve or sustain the condition of the transportation facility in a state of good repair or minimally acceptable condition.

With limited funds, preservation projects are often delayed, forcing more extensive and costly maintenance work and resulting in the need for extensive reconstruction. If not addressed, WSDOT will be forced to post signs warning travelers of rough roadways, reduced speed limits and possibly closed lanes and bridges.

2019

• WSDOT met 77% of its highway maintenance assetcondition targets in 2019, the same percentage as in 2018
• WSDOT processed 216,472 maintenance records in 2019 using HATS (Highway Activities Tracking System)
• WSDOT assessed the condition of all guardrail (approximately 20,090 runs) in the state in 2019 using HATS

WSDOT strives to meet level of service targets

WSDOT was able to meet 77% (20 of 26) of its highway maintenance asset condition targets for 2019—the same percentage as in 2018. Maintenance funding has not kept pace with the increased needs associated with system additions from new projects, or the inflation-adjusted costs of construction materials and supplies like salt used for snow and ice control.

Static funding and increased prices have driven WSDOT to defer some highway maintenance activities, reducing levels of service (LOS) and making it more difficult to adequately maintain highway infrastructure.

WSDOT reduced its LOS targets on three of its 26 maintenance activities in 2019. The reductions—affecting slope repair, barrier maintenance, and highway lighting—were based on a five-year history of WSDOT being unable to consistently meet LOS targets with available funds.